THE vice-chancellor of the University of Worcester enjoyed a 20 per cent pay rise last year.

Professor David Green's salary increased from £125,000 to £150,000.

News of the pay rise comes only a week after publication of an annual vice-chancellors' pay survey.

The report showed that salaries of vice-chancellors had increased by more than twice of those earned by other academic staff in 2005-06.

The survey revealed vice-chancellors earned an average of 7.9 per cent more in 2005-06 than in 2004-05. Between 2004/5 and 2005/6, the average wage for vice-chancellors grew by £12,044 - from £153,061 to £165,105.

In the same period, salaries of other academic staff rose by just three per cent.

At Worcester university, staff received salary increases starting at a minimum of seven per cent.

However, the university's chairman of governors John Yelland said the increase in Mr Green's salary reflected his outstanding commitment and achievements in the role.

He also said the increase brought Mr Green's salary in line with other university vice-chancellors. He also highlighted that he still remained in the bottom third of university vice-chancellor salaries in higher education institutions, which put Mr Green at 105th out of 150 vice-chancellors. He said: "In the four years since Mr Green has been at Worcester, the university's revenue has virtually doubled to £38m and student numbers have risen dramatically."

He said Mr Green had championed introduction of a scheme to make sure the salaries of other staff increased significantly faster than the national average.

Mr Yelland said student applications were up by 41 per cent increase for 2007 - the sixth year-on-year increase - and attributed it partly to Mr Green's "energy and passion for education and life-long learning." He said: "Mr Green has been integral to this university achieving its goals."